| Patagonian toothfish | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Nototheniidae |
| Genus: | Dissostichus |
| Species: | D. eleginoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Dissostichus eleginoides Smitt, 1898 |
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The Patagonian toothfish, Dissostichus eleginoides (also known as Chilean sea bass), is a fish found in the cold, temperate waters (between depths of 45 m (148 ft) to 3,850 m (12,631 ft)) of the southern Atlantic, southern Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans on seamounts and continental shelves around most sub-Antarctic islands.
A close relative, the Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni), is found farther south around the edges of the Antarctic shelf; it also lives in the Ross Sea.
The average weight of a commercially caught Patagonian toothfish is 9–10 kg (20–22 lb), with large adults occasionally exceeding 200 kilograms (440 lb). They are thought to live up to fifty years and to reach a length up to 2.3 m (7.5 ft). A commercial fishery exists for Patagonian toothfish; the meat is sold under the trade names Chilean sea bass in the USA; merluza negra Argentina, and Uruguay where it is relatively cheap; and mero in Chile, South Korea, and Japan where it is sold at high prices. The name Chilean Sea Bass supposedly originated as part of a marketing gimmick to make the fish more marketable (as opposed to selling Patagonian toothfish).[1]
Patagonian toothfish feed largely on squid, fish, and prawns and, in turn, constitute a large part of the diets of sperm whales, southern elephant seals, and colossal squid.
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France severely regulates Patagonian toothfish in the waters surrounding the French islands in the South Indian Ocean (Crozet Island, Kerguelen Islands), with scientific oversight from the National museum of natural history[2] Fishing authorizations are granted to a limited number of fisheries from Reunion Island; before 1998, there had been agreements with other countries authorizing their ships to fish in these waters.[3][4]
In Australia, two companies are licensed by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) to fish for Patagonian toothfish; these are Austral Fisheries and Australian Longline. The companies have legal access to the Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) fishery, as well as the Macquarie Island fishery and have quotas set by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. [5] [6]
About 2450 tonnes of the annual 2550 tonnes caught in Australian Antarctic waters is sold overseas, mainly to Japanese and US markets.[5]
The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) supervises some of the legal Patagonian toothfish harvesting.[7]
The Coalition of Legal Toothfish Operators, Inc. (COLTO) claims to represent the legal toothfishing industry.[8]
In the late 1990s to early 2000s, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated IUU fishing for toothfish nearly collapsed many nation's fisheries in the Southern Ocean. Though, since 2005, thanks to CCAMLR Member nations, government patrol vessels, eNGOs, media exposure and a plethora of port state measures, IUU fishing has been all but eliminated from within countries' EEZs, though a relatively small portion of catch in the high seas is the only unregulated catch being exploited currently. [9]
In the last few years, the management of several fisheries has improved with increased patrolling for illegal vessels and stringent regulations for legal operators. Although unregulated fishing is still a problem in some high seas areas, the Marine Stewardship Council has certified the fishery in South Georgia for sustainable management. South Georgia has the largest toothfish fishery, with a total allowable catch (TAC) of around 3000 tonnes per year, taken by approximately ten vessels. Currently, there are a number of other toothfish fisheries that are undergoing review for MSC certification. [10]
The Patagonian toothfish lives in deep waters, from 300–3,500 m (984–11,483 ft) on seamounts and continental shelves around most sub-Antarctic islands, such as the exclusive economic zone of the French Southern Territories (Kerguelen Islands) and around South Africa's Prince Edward Islands, and Australia's Heard Island and McDonald Islands. In the past, France sold some fishing rights to Japanese and other foreign fisheries; because of overfishing, now fishing is reserved for fisheries from Réunion Island. Because of poaching, the French Navy patrols the zone and has made numerous arrests and seizures. Australian Customs vessels have pursued illegal toothfishing ships; the chase in the Viarsa incident went on for 7200 kilometers.[11]
Illegal fishing for toothfish in the Southern Ocean is hazardous not only for the fish, but also for other wildlife in and around the waters. According to The Antarctica Project, "It is common practice in the illegal fishery to dynamite the [sperm and killer] whales when they are discovered in the area where the fishing takes place"[12][13] and "…hundreds of thousands of endangered albatrosses and petrels dive for the [fish] bait and become hooked and drowned." The longline fishery has also been criticized for drowning thousands of seabirds, such as albatrosses.
The Chilean sea bass is listed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium on its Seafood Watch list and pocket guides as a fish to avoid due to overfishing and high levels of mercury.[14]
In 2010, Greenpeace International added the Patagonian toothfish to its seafood red list. "The Greenpeace International seafood red list is a list of fish that are commonly sold in supermarkets around the world, and which have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries."[15]
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